Tenor trombone hereinafter refers to a slide trombone, in which a so-called slide (hand slide) extends the length of the air column by being slid outward for the purpose of pitch change, whereby a low-pitched tone is generated. The slide is composed of an inner slide and an outer slide. The inner slide has two ducts which are interconnected via a brace, wherein a mouthpiece is placed onto one of the ducts. The outer slide, which is composed of two ducts being interconnected via a semi-circular tube bend in a U-shaped manner, is slid onto the inner slide. In order to play the instrument, the outer slide is slid back and forth on the inner slide.
Tenor trombones are most commonly pitched in B. As with every other brass wind instrument, a B/F tenor trombone has a “natural tone series” which can be blown by the trombonist by alteration of the lips (tension), tongue and breathing, with the slide being closed (e.g. in the 1st register). Said “natural tone series” for the B/F tenor trombone is as follows:
1.natural toneB (contra B)2.natural toneB3.natural toneF (note f)4.natural toneB (note b)5.natural toneD (note d{grave over ( )})6.natural toneF (note f{grave over ( )})7.natural toneAs (soundless)8.natural toneB (note b`)
The basic length L0 of the trombone is difficult to measure. The total tubing length can have a minimal variation despite having the same basic tuning with varying bore size and tube diameter. The tubing lengths are taken with the aid of a cord in the middle of the straight tubes and bends. Moreover, the actual lengths are shorter than the calculated lengths, since in practice, extension of the instrument is possible only to a limited degree by sliding of the main tuning slide, in order to “tune” itself with respect to other instruments. The basic length L0 of the trombone, however, can be calculated for B tuning as follows. L0=(number of natural tone+1)λB/2. A 20° C. speed of sound of c=34500 cm/s and the frequency for the 7th natural tone B (fb=466.2 Hz) results in the wavelength λB of 74 cm. The basic length L0=8/2×74 cm thus corresponds to 296 cm.
By means of the slide, the tubing length can be altered beyond the basic length L0 of the trombone. In order to play chromatically between the individual natural tones, the instrument is accordingly extended via the slide. In principle, the slide position can be calculated due to the above formula for all tones in accordance with a tubing length assigned to the frequency as a difference to the basic length L0. Hereinafter, slide position and register are used analogously. The tubing length for the g (fg=196 Hz; 3th natural tone) results in 352 cm, so that the difference (352 cm−296 cm)/2 corresponds to a slide position of 28 cm (starting from a slide position for the first register). The division by 2 is a result of the two legs of the slide. When looking beyond contra B (1st natural tone) in this natural tone series, the largest interval arises from the 2nd natural tone to the 3rd natural tone. In order to be able to play this fifth (B-f) in semitone steps, as a rule, seven slide positions (registers) are distinguished, between which the slide can be slid continuously. The registers in each case differ by one semitone
slide positionupgrade to semitonesI.0 (natural tone)II.1III.2IV.3V.4VI.5VII.6
B/F tenor trombones are available with a quart valve. The quart valve is a rotary valve (cylinder valve) having a valve body which can be rotated by 90° and which is passed through by two tubular channels. Upon activation of the rotary valve, the valve body rotates and redirects the air flow in such a manner that a valve slide is activated, whereby the length of the air column is extended, and the tone becomes lower in pitch. The valve slide has precisely the length which lowers the fundamental tone of the instrument by one fourth (from B to F) when the valve is pressed down.
The largest tone jump of one octave (12 semitones) lies between the 1st and the 2nd natural tone. With the aid of the quart valve, all chromatic tones lying therebetween can be played, which is not possible in the absence of a quart valve. Upon activation of the quart valve, the instrument is basically upgraded by 5 semitones. All slide positions are somewhat more remote from one another due to the larger length when the valve is being pressed down, so that normally only 6 slide positions can be played. The activated valve slide of the quart valve also has its own tuning slide. With the aid of the quart valve, the slide positions alter as shown in the following example with the F tuning.
slide slide positionpositionwith quart valveI.1Vin the tenor trombone corresponds to the6th slide positionII.2-Vin the tenor trombone corresponds to the7th slide position
Tenor trombones with a quart valve exhibit advantages as regards the playing technique, since the same can be played with alternative slide positions. Hence, for the c, the slide is not required any more to be slid outward up to the sixth slide position, but instead, said tone can also be played with the valve in the first slide position. In a slide table, the notation therefore is IV (for the 1st slide position with valve) instead of 6 (for the 6th slide position). It is particularly advantageous that for specific tone jumps, a larger distance is not required to be covered by the slide, but instead, using the quart valve everything lying between slide position I. and V. can be played. As a result, smooth and fast playing is possible. The activation of the quart valve will be rendered obvious once again using the following slide table:
tonesslide positiond{grave over ( )}I.D-flat/C-sharp{grave over ( )}II.c{grave over ( )}III.hIV.bI.aII.A-flat/G-sharpIII.gIV.F-sharpV.fI.eII.E-flat/D-sharpIII.dIV.D-flat/C-sharpV.cvalve + I. corresponds to slide position VI.Hvalve + II. corresponds to slide position VII.
The B/F tenor trombone which has a total length of approx. 1150 mm is difficult to handle for children. Children have difficulty in this regard, since they are not able yet to reach the outer slide positions due to their smaller body size and in particular shorter arm length. Due to the mere slideway alone, children aged between 10 and 14 regularly are not able to play beyond register V. In fact, in the first years of instrument training, playing is focused mainly on the d′ (5th natural tone) and B (2nd natural tone) and use of slide positions VI. and VII. is omitted.
Furthermore, “instrument balance” is an issue as a result of the overall size. Due to the length of the slide, the instrument is pulled downward at the hand slide end, which has to be compensated for using muscle power. Poor balancing of the instrument is tiring for the trombonist, since weight has to be constantly counterbalanced manually.
It is well known that a secundo trombone is better to handle due to its smaller dimensions. The secundo trombone is a C trombone which is pitched higher by one whole tone. In this trombone, in particular the hand slide is shortened. The secundo trombone is upgraded again to B via the continuously activated valve by one “whole tone”. As a result, slide positions are analogous to that of the B/F tenor trombone. Upon activation of the valve, upgrade is disabled, and the instrument is returned to original C tuning. At slide position 1, the c is thus played, and in slide position 2, the H is played.
Due to the C tuning, the secundo trombone exhibits a different sound character compared to the B/F tenor trombone. Tones c and H are played differently compared to the B/F tenor trombone. From a point of view of the playing technique, the difference resides in that in the B/F tenor trombone, the natural tone F is blown and the instrument is extended to tone c or H using the slide, whereas in the secundo trombone, the natural tone is played by deactivation of the valve (which corresponds to shortening of the instrument). In this context, in the case of a later changeover to a B/F tenor trombone, the playing technique has to be altered. Moreover, chromatic playing in the low-pitch range is only possible up to F-sharp/G-flat.